National PTSD charity recognizes EST Battalion 19

Lee-Anne Daley (right), Alberta TEMA ambassador, presented Dylan Fluter (centre), EST alumnus, the certificate on November 2.

The 2016 class sold calendars as their fund raising activity. It's become an annual tradition for the EST classes. The charities they choose do vary..

“All of that money went to our first responders. It’s stayed right here in our community and for all of that hard work we wanted to thank last year's class, Battalion 19, and Dylan for spearheading this. We wanted to recognize him and the college with a plaque,” says Daley, who is also a paramedic.

TEMA is a hub of research, training and education dealing with PTSD and operational stress Injuries. Their mission is to support men and women of emergency, public safety and military services.

“This is close to my heart. I got involved with TEMA in 2006 when I was a first-year paramedic student. I had already been an EMT for three years, and from my experience came trauma. Things can build up over time and then wear on you,” Daley says.

“TEMA wants to build the ability for you to continue on in the career you started in so you can come out of it and still live a happy, productive life, and not be someone you don't want to be.”

Leadership excellence certificate

Following Daley’s presentation, Ed Gadbois, Emergency Training Centre (ETC) instructor, surprised Fluter, now a primary care paramedic, with a certificate of excellence for leadership.

“When we asked for volunteers to get things done, it became obvious that Battalion 19 had a natural leader within their ranks. Throughout the year, when things came up, this gentleman stepped up - we actually had to rein him in a few times and say let someone else do it,” says Gadbois.

A humble Fluter accepted both recognitions on behalf of Battalion 19.

“I can't take all of the credit as I had 28 other people working with me that made this possible, along with all of the staff and instructors – they were all a great support. I’m thankful for the opportunities I experience with my EST class, which made for a great year, and I’m glad to be back as an assistant instructor.”

Fluter successfully completed ETC's basic instructor course, which means he can assist with any part of a course which he has successfully completed. His work load depends on his availability and the need of the ETC instructors. His first assignment was earlier this year when he helped with a technical rescue course.

With Fluter’s leadership, Battalion 19 raised $12,000 from their calendar sales. The remaining $2,000 was donated to Danny Heintz, a student of Battalion 19. He was given the money to donate to the Canadian Cancer Society in memory of his mom who passed away from liver cancer just before he Heintz came to Lakeland.

“We didn’t find out until weeks after this happened that this student was here that his mom passed from liver cancer. That's why this class decided to take $2,000 off their total,” Gadbois says.